Speakers provided practical, motivational and futuristic information.

The 20th Congress of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors Association (WFBSC) was held in New York City, April 6-9, 2014, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in the heart of Times Square.

It was organized and hosted by Stan Doobin, president and CEO, Harvard Maintenance Inc.

I go to a lot of shows, seminars and conventions, but the 2014 World Congress in NYC was one of the best I’ve ever attended.

Over 800 participants from 22 countries were in attendance.

The speakers and presentations, parties and food, and the attendees were all top notch.

This was truly a “cream of the crop” event.

A hearty thank you goes to Stan Doobin, CEO of Harvard Maintenance for his personal commitment and financial backing to make the event a memorable experience for everyone.

Stan was willing to reach deep into his own pocket to give back to the industry that he has been a part of for over 30 years.

I first met Stan when he attended a bidding and estimating seminar I conducted in New York City in 1984, when he had a handful of employees.

Fast forward to 2014, and today Stan has grown Harvard Maintenance into an operation with over 7,000 employees doing business in 46 states.

Let’s review some of the key points from a couple of the presentations that I thought were especially good.

Dr. Sean Stephenson

Get Off Your Butt

A 3-foot man in a wheelchair tells the crowd, with a smile, “Don’t pity me, I wake up every morning next a beautiful naked woman”.

When I was born, the three doctors in the room predicted I would be dead in 24 hours. I’m happy to report that I am still alive and the doctors are dead. I’m the only doctor who was in the room at the time that is still alive.

When you look inside yourself, you can be happy, when you look outside yourself for happiness, others will control your happiness and success.

If you listen to your doubters, you would not be where you are today.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We have choice as to how we see and respond to life.

If you can control your emotions, you can accomplish anything.

Life shifts with the choices you make.

Life is funny when you choose to see it that way. When things go wrong, ask yourself, what’s funny about this? Laugh at yourself. When you laugh your body heals.

Editorial Comment: Every employee hired in your company should see Sean Stephenson’s presentation.

Peter Diamandis

In 10 years, 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies will no longer exist.

Technology is growing and doubling year after year, creating exponential growth.

The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.

One constant is change and the speed of change is increasing much faster than we realize.

The first GPS was invented in 1981; it cost $119,000 and weighed 55 pounds. Today it’s a free app on your cellphone.

If you don’t disrupt yourself, someone else will.

Robotics – Google bought eight robotic companies over the last year and is working on an autonomous car that drives itself. Robotics and sensors are the future of labor force.

3D printing using 200 different materials is available now, from plastics and food to human body parts and concrete, metal and glass. Future generations of this technology will be at the atomic level.

Bio-future – Bacteria that eats lint and pee stain remover.

Standing still equals death for individual growth or the future of a business.

The day before a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.

Find out more about the book by Diamandis, Abundance – The Future is Better than You Think, here.

For a copy of the speakers' PowerPoint presentation from the WFBSC, requests can be texted to (310) 299-8772.

I wish I had space to share more with you, but that’s it for this time.

The next WFBSC Congress is scheduled for Tokyo, Japan, in April of 2016; don’t miss it.

William (Bill) Griffin is the president of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc. and president of the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN). ICAN is a nonprofit association comprised of industry professionals providing free consultation services through the Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) and their Ask The Experts page. Comments and questions about bidding and estimating are encouraged: (206) 849-0179 or WGriffin@CleaningConsultants.com.